Successful automotive vehicle design requires consideration of numerous diverse design objectives. Components comprising the automobile must often meet criteria ranging from strength and durability to style and comfort. Moreover, increased functionality combined with ease of installation are also important vehicle design characteristics.
The prior art teaches an automotive seat that includes a seat cushion, and a backrest pivotally mounted to the seat cushion so that the backrest may be reclined at a selected angle relative to the seat cushion for comfort. To improve seat comfort, a headrest is often defined on the upper portion of the backrest, for example, by supporting a cushion atop the backrest using a pair of posts that are slidably received in complementary guides defined in the upper portion of the backrest frame. In some vehicle seat designs, a separate release actuator is deployed to allow the seatback to be positioned in the folded position. In such a design, a vehicle occupant can induce the seatback to be positioned in intermediate positions between the design upright position and the folded position. In rear seat applications, space is at a premium making intermediate positioning undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved seatback designs with improved mechanism for folding and raising the seatback.